Printed from https://fyi.org.nz/request/3078-human-rights-and-the-tppa on November 05, 2024 11:37

Human rights and the TPPA

Robert B Glennie made this Official Information request to Minister of Trade

The request was refused by Minister of Trade.

From: Robert B Glennie

Dear Minister of Trade,

I write this Official Information Act request for details on two areas of interest relating to human rights and the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement:

1)How the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement will affect New Zealand's human rights obligations overseas, and;

2) What impact will be had on the human rights of New Zealanders

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Robert Glennie
Christchurch
New Zealand

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From: Bibiana Marsh

Dear Robert Glennie

On behalf of Hon Tim Groser, Minister of Trade, thank you for your email of 23 August 2015, requesting the following information under the Official Information Act.

-"How the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement will affect New Zealand's human rights obligations overseas, and;

-What impact will be had on the human rights of New Zealanders"

The Minister is considering your request in accordance with the Act, and will respond to you in due course.

Yours sincerely

Bibiana Marsh
Senior Private Secretary
Office of Hon Tim Groser
Minister of Trade | Minister for Climate Change Issues
4.1R The Beehive, Parliament Buildings
Private Bag 18041, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

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Robert B Glennie left an annotation ()

I received a response, whilst not in New Zealand.

The response was on 09 September. Quite in depth.

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From: FYI.org.nz Administrator

Attachment 965 15.pdf
113K Download View as HTML

The following response was emailed direct to the requester who forwarded
to [1]FYI.org.nz to be published.
Oliver
[2]FYI.org.nz
--- On Wed, 9/9/15, Eloise Twaddle <[3][email address]>
wrote:

> From: Eloise Twaddle <[4][email address]>
> Subject: Response Letter - Hon Tim Groser
> Received: Wednesday, 9 September, 2015, 2:18 PM
>
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> Dear Robert Glennie
>  
> Please find attached the
> response from Hon Tim Groser, Minister of Trade, to your
> correspondence.
>  
> Yours sincerely
>  
> Eloise
> Twaddle
> Ministerial
> Secretary
> Office of Hon Tim
> Groser
> Minister of Trade |
> Minister for Climate Change Issues
> Parliament Buildings
> | Private Bag 18041 | Wellington 6160 | New
> Zealand
>  
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References

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Oliver Lineham (FYI.org.nz volunteer) left an annotation ()

Maybe I'm blind but I can't see the words "human rights" anywhere in the minister's response.

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Robert B Glennie left an annotation ()

I have e-mailed the office of the Minister of Trade and said that the letter response did not answer either question. I reiterated the questions.

I note that Professor Jane Kelsey has been successful in court action against the Minister of Trade over the secrecy surrounding the T.P.P.A. There will be an Ombudsman complaint if this second request of mine is not successful.

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From: Robert B Glennie

Dear Minister of Trade,

In August I filed an Official Information Act request with your office regarding questions I have about how the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement will impact on human rights. This is a trade agreement, which will have very significant impacts on human rights in New Zealand and the other eleven nations involved.

New Zealand has legal obligations to protect human rights under the Bill of Rights Act and various international instruments.

In June the United Nations Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights released this statement, with regards to trade negotiations:

http://www.ohchr.org/FR/NewsEvents/Pages...

I have three questions. The first two were originally asked, and the third is a new one:

1. How will the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement impact on human rights in New Zealand?
2. How will the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement impact on New Zealand’s human rights obligations?
3. What will the Government do to ensure that New Zealand’s international and domestic human rights obligations are being upheld?

The response I got in early September was quite in depth. However it completely ignored my original two questions.

That is not satisfactory. Please be aware that I will consider laying a complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman if the response to this second request is not satisfactory. New Zealanders have a right to know how this will impact on their human rights and on their country’s human rights obligations. As a Minister of the Crown you have an obligation to comply unless you have solid grounds on which to refuse this request.

Yours Sincerely,

Robert Glennie

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